Doug E. Fresh & Rob Base

Rob Base hails from Harlem New York. He first began performing with various groups such as: Sure Shot Seven, Cosmic 3 MC’s, and Freedom Force. He and partner DJ EZ Rock, (whom he has known since the 4th grade) would eventually separate from the groups to form Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock. Their first single ‘DJ Interview’ came out on Mike and Dave’s label Star Maker’s Records in 1986. World to World Records would produce their second single ‘Make It Hot’ in 1987. Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock’s music began to gain momentum and they would receive a distribution deal with Profile Records by 1988.

In 1988, Profile Records released Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock’s debut album It Takes Two. The title track became a massive single. The single and the album were certified platinum by the RIAA on June 12, 1989 and December 28, 1989, respectively, and produced 3 top ten hits. The single, gained Single of the Year honors from both Spin Magazine and The Village Voice. Additional singles such as Get on the Dance Floor (Which reached #1 on the Dance Club charts) and Joy and Pain continued to help push the album to multi-platinum status. In 1989, Rob Base dropped a solo release album “The Incredible Base”, which went Gold and included a number of hits such as Turn It Out (Go Base), which reached #4 and Get Up and Have A Good Time. In the last 30 years, Rob Base has continued to make his mark in the Hip Hop and Freestyle worlds. Rob has had the opportunities to make countless television appearances on shows like The Monique Show, The Queen Latifah Show, Good Day NY and the sitcom The Game. It Takes Two has been featured in critically acclaimed movies such as The Proposal, Love & Basketball, The Sisters and countless Marvel Films. It Takes Two has been in countless commercials for Yoplait Yogurt, Burger King, NFL Mobile, Target, and has been the opening song for LL Cool J’s Lip Sync Battle for two seasons. The song is a very popular choice on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and can be heard at almost every major sporting event. Rob Base has also added Celebrity DJ to his resume, as he was the guest DJ at the MSNBC White House Correspondence Dinner in 2014, and David “Big Papi” Oritz of the Boston Red Sox, retirement party. In 2017, Rob Base was the Half-Time performance at the NBA Finals Game 1, between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Rob Base was also the halftime performance at the NBA playoffs game 2, Philly Vs Miami. Rob Base has also added Celebrity DJ to his resume, as he was the guest DJ at the MSNBC White House Correspondence Dinner in 2014, and David “Big Papi” Oritz of the Boston Red Sox, retirement party. In 2017,

In 2014, Rob joined the highly successful “I Love The 90’s” Tour and shared the stage with Salt N Pepa, TLC, Tone Loc and a host of other 90’s Legends. In 2018, Rob along with Salt N Pepa and All For One setup a first ever Hip Hop residency in Vegas. This residency would later include En Vouge and Kid N Play. In 2019, Rob toured with Mc Hammer on Hammer’s House Party Tour and on 2/22/22, he performed on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Rob is now currently producing films and has added Executive Producer to his arsenal.

Doug E. Fresh’s peers have dubbed him the “World’s Greatest Entertainer” and the “Original Human Beatbox.” During his nearly 40-year career, he has etched himself into the annals of music history with his creation of the human beatbox art form, whereby he vocally simulates the sounds of drums and other musical instruments with stunning accuracy. His unrivaled skill and myriad talents have resulted in an enduring legacy that continues to break new ground.

As a pioneering hip-hop artist, Fresh possesses the unrivaled ability to captivate audiences with or without a musical backing track and has performed at the request of US Presidents, foreign dignitaries, and Saints. As a television personality and producer, he has appeared as a performer and musical mentor on Fox’s “American Idol,” hosted HBO’s “Bad Boys of

Comedy,” served as one of three celebrity judges on BET’s “Showtime at the Apollo,” and earned three consecutive executive producer credits for his work on BET’s newly reprised “Soul Train Awards.” He has also launched marketing campaigns for brands like McDonald’s, Toyota, and Febreze. As an entrepreneur, he has established several commercial enterprises, namely an eponymous restaurant in New York City and multiple real estate development projects.

Proudly raised in Harlem, New York, Fresh shot from local phenomenon to nationally recognized talent with the help of an appearance in the 1984 cult classic movie “Beat Street.” By 1985, Fresh had become one of hip-hop’s biggest international stars, thanks to the success of his classics, "The Show” and “La Di Da Di," recorded with his Get Fresh Crew, including MC Ricky D (a.k.a. Slick Rick). As highlighted in a 2019 Wall Street Journal article and in a 2014 TED Talk by multi-platinum music producer Mark Ronson, “La Di Da Di” holds the distinct honor of being the fifth most-sampled song in the history of music with use by Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Miley Cyrus, LL Cool J, Will Smith, and more than 1000 other acts.

In the late 2000’s, Fresh’s multi-generational popularity spawned several tribute songs, most notably, the 2009 breakout hit “Teach Me How to Dougie,” by LA rap collective Cali Swag District. The song birthed a viral dance craze called “The Dougie,” an ode to moves Fresh created in the 1980s, which have since been adapted and performed by an unlikely bevy of celebrities ranging from journalists Wolf Blitzer and Barbara Walters to superstars Justin Bieber and Beyoncé.

Among the many awards Fresh has accumulated over the years, he is a Hip Hop Hall of Fame inductee; a BET Hip Hop Awards’ Icon honoree; and a recipient of the Source Awards’ Lifetime Achievement honor. Fresh made history as the first rapper booked to perform in Africa and the first rapper to perform at the United Nations, alongside his longtime friend and collaborator Stevie Wonder.

With the same ease that he takes the mic, Fresh takes on social responsibility. He wrote a children’s book entitled “Think Again,” as part of the Scholastic Publishing series, “Hip Kid Hop.” The book promotes unity and acceptance through the story of two kids who surmount racial antagonism to become friends. A tireless, well-documented activist, Fresh has fought against racism, drugs, illiteracy, police brutality and homelessness in communities in need around the world. A vocal proponent of artists' rights, he was a member of the board of directors of the Artist Empowerment Coalition, an organization founded by his dearly departed friend, Prince, to assist artists in retaining their intellectual property.

Fresh currently serves as Vice President and Co-founder of the Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) nonprofit whose mission is to amplify health literacy through music and to foster positive health behavior changes, beginning with school-aged children. In his role with HHPH, he has worked directly with former First Lady Michelle Obama and her “Let’s Move” campaign, co-producing the soundtrack for the movement.

To date, Doug E. Fresh is one of the most actively touring musicians across all genres, averaging a whopping 200 live, domestic performances per year for the past two decades. A tireless act who remains highly relevant and on the pulse of innovation, Fresh plans to continue to use his gifts to be of service to others. “I’ve always lived my life saying I don’t want to be financially rich and spiritually bankrupt,” he says. “So most of my decisions lean toward what's better for the spiritual growth of others and for myself, and toward creating the best celebrations of life.

When I make music, I've always been about trying to elevate the culture. Hip-hop is supposed to uplift, to educate people on a higher level, and to make change.